Electron emitting device and method of manufacturing the same

Abstract

There is provided an electron emitting device including a substrate, a pair of electrodes formed on the substrate and being apart from each other, a pair of electrically conductive films formed on the electrodes, respectively, and being apart from each other, a distance between the electrically conductive films being shorter than a distance between the electrodes, and an electron emitting film formed between the electrically conductive films, the electron emitting film containing boron and at least one of carbon and nitrogen.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . An electron emitting device, comprising: 
 a substrate;    a pair of electrodes formed on the substrate and being apart from each other;    a pair of electrically conductive films formed on the electrodes, respectively, and being apart from each other, a distance between the electrically conductive films being shorter than a distance between the electrodes; and    an electron emitting film formed between the electrically conductive films, the electron emitting film containing boron and at least one of carbon and nitrogen.    
     
     
         2 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electron emitting film contains boron and carbon.  
     
     
         3 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electron emitting film contains boron and nitrogen.  
     
     
         4 . The device according to  claim 3 , wherein the electron emitting film further contains at least one element selected from the group consisting of magnesium, aluminum, silicon, phosphorus and sulfur.  
     
     
         5 . The device according to  claim 1 , wherein the electron emitting film contains boron, carbon and nitrogen.  
     
     
         6 . The device according to  claim 5 , wherein, in at least a portion of the electron emitting film, boron, carbon and nitrogen are phase-separated into a phase containing boron nitride and a phase containing carbon.  
     
     
         7 . A method of manufacturing an electron emitting device, comprising: 
 forming a pair of electrodes apart from each other on a substrate;    forming a pair of electrically conductive films apart from each other on the electrodes, respectively, a distance between the electrically conductive films being shorter than a distance between the electrodes; and    forming an electron emitting film containing boron and at least one of carbon and nitrogen between the electrically conductive films.    
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein a deposition method is utilized for forming the electron emitting film.  
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the formation of the electron emitting film comprises: 
 depositing a material containing boron and carbon between the electrically conductive films while causing a current to flow between the electrodes in an atmosphere containing at least one of a compound which comprises boron and carbon and a mixture of a compound which comprises boron and a compound which comprises carbon.    
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the atmosphere contains at least one species selected from the group consisting of alkyl borane, aryl borane, vinyl borane, allyl borane and substitution products thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the atmosphere contains at least one species selected from the group consisting of alkoxy borane, aryloxy borane, vinyloxy borane, allyloxy borane and substitution products thereof.  
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the formation of the electron emitting film comprises: 
 depositing a material containing boron and nitrogen on the electrically conductive films while causing a current to flow between the electrodes in an atmosphere containing a compound which comprises boron and nitrogen.    
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 12 , wherein the atmosphere contains at least one species selected from the group consisting of amine borane complex, amino borane and a compound having a ring structure of boron and nitrogen.  
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the formation of the electron emitting film comprises: 
 depositing a material containing boron, nitrogen and carbon between the electrically conductive films while causing a current to flow between the electrodes in an atmosphere containing a compound which comprises boron and nitrogen and a compound which comprises carbon.    
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the atmosphere contains at least one species selected from the group consisting of amine borane complex, amino borane and a compound having a ring structure of boron and nitrogen.  
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 14 , wherein the atmosphere contains hydrocarbon.  
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the formation of the electron emitting film comprises: 
 depositing a material containing carbon between the electrically conductive films while causing a current to flow between the electrodes in a first atmosphere containing a compound which comprises carbon; and    depositing a material containing boron and nitrogen between the electrically conductive films while causing a current to flow between the electrodes in a second atmosphere containing a compound which comprises boron and nitrogen.    
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the second atmosphere contains at least one species selected from the group consisting of amine borane complex, amino borane and a compound having a ring structure of boron and nitrogen.  
     
     
         19 . The method according to  claim 17 , wherein the first atmosphere contains hydrocarbon.